Register Ayesha Ahad torture case or go home, CJP to IGP

LAHORE: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar, ordered the Punjab IGP to provide security to Ayesha Ahad Malik, who claims to be wife of PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz, and also register a case, as directed by a sessions court, against those allegedly involved in torturing and abusing her, or go home if he failed to implement the court orders.

On the other hand, there were some media reports late on Saturday night that the police had registered an FIR against the accused, but these reports could not be confirmed till filing of this story. The Supreme Court’s two–member bench was hearing a case related to the alleged threats given to Ayesha. The petition has nominated Hamza, Rana Maqbool, Ali Imran (son-in-law of Shahbaz Sharif) and others. The chief justice had taken a suo motu on the complaint of Ayesha who had approached him against the delay in her cases and threats to her and her daughter’s lives.

She said a sessions court in 2011 had ordered the police to lodge a case against Hamza, Ali, Rana Sanaullah, Rana Maqbool, Zulfiqar Cheema and others. However, she said the case was never lodged. The chief justice directed the police chief to register a case immediately if the order was still in the field. A copy of sessions court’s 2011 order on the complaint of Ayesha was also handed over to the IGP.

Chief Justice Nisar observed if the order had not been set aside by a higher court then the case should be lodged immediately. “Why do you get puzzled on my orders,” the chief justice asked IGP Arif Nawaz who was looking nervous over the chief justice’s observations. The chief justice summoned Hamza and directed Advocate General Asma Hamid to ask Shahbaz Sharif to ensure the presence of Hamza in the court by 1 am. “The court cannot see anyone’s life under threat,” the chief justice observed.

He also asked former Punjab health minister Khawaja Salman Rafiq, who was present in the court for another case, about the whereabouts of Hamza but he showed complete ignorance. This irked the chief justice who remarked: “You wander around along with him all day and now you are clueless about him.” After a while, the advocate general informed the court that Hamza was out of the country and would return within three to four days.

At this, Chief Justice Nisar deferred the hearing till June 29 and directed the IGP to provide complete security to Ayesha as well as sought the record of all cases registered against her. He further directed the police chief to fix responsibility of police officials involved in delaying registration of the torture case despite the court’s order.

In 2011, Defence-A police arrested Ayesha and her young daughter in a kidnapping for ransom case. A Filipino woman had accused Ayesha of kidnapping her son for ransom. An anti-terrorism court judge had also allowed the police 10-day physical remand of Ayesha; however, the Lahore High Court had suspended the same and also questioned the integrity of the trial judge. The high court had ordered an inquiry against the judge for granting remand without applying judicial mind. Later, Ayesha filed a petition before the sessions court for registration of a case against police officials for keeping her and her young daughter in illegal custody and also subjecting them to torture. She alleged that Hamza, Rana Sana, Ali and some other police officers were behind the whole episode.